Notre Dame Cathedral Has Been Engulfed By A Massive Fire
Devastating video shows the roof of the building collapsing in the flames.
Paris’ historic Notre Dame Cathedral has been engulfed by a massive fire, with devastating video footage showing the building’s iconic spire collapsing in the flames.
Firefighters are currently fighting to save the rest of the 850-year-old building, which caught fire in the early hours of the morning (Australian time).
The moment #NotreDame’s spire fell pic.twitter.com/XUcr6Iob0b
— Patrick Galey (@patrickgaley) April 15, 2019
The cause of the fire is not yet known, although the BBC has reported it may be linked to recent renovation works.
No injuries have been reported, while the area around the cathedral has been evacuated.
As night fell on Paris and a massive plume of smoke spread out across the city, thousands of people stopped in the streets to watch the blaze. Many wept openly, while others sung hymns.
OK, I finally lost it completely: Parisians singing hymns as Notre Dame burns. pic.twitter.com/wSeIdQc8qF
— Steve Silberman (@stevesilberman) April 15, 2019
In a tweet, French president Emmanuel Macron said his thoughts were with “all Catholics and all French people”.
“Like all our countrymen, I’m sad tonight to see this part of us burn,” he wrote.
Construction on Notre Dame began in 1160 and took more than a century to complete. In addition to being an architectural marvel itself, the cathedral is home to a number of priceless artifacts and pieces of art.